http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22048540-2,00.html
Pakistan troops storm besieged Red Mosque
PAKISTANI troops have launched a massive operation against a cleric and his armed men in a besieged Islamabad mosque after negotiations failed.
“The troops are now inside the mosque, they are at the roof top,” top military spokesman Major General Arshad Waheed said.
“It is a final push to clear the place of armed militants,” he said, adding that the militants were putting up stiff resistance.
Huge blasts rocked the Red Mosque compound and the sound of heavy gunfire could be heard.
“The troops have entered from three sides. The militants are firing at them. Our effort is to get hold of them as soon as possible and save the lives of unarmed people inside,” Gen Waheed said.
“Our effort is to finish the operation as quickly as possible with minimum loss of life.”
Ministers have accused cleric Abdul Rashid Ghazi and his followers of holding women and children in the Red Mosque as human shields.
This is crunch time.